


Knowledge

by PerserveranceNotLOVE



Series: The Adventures of Melody, Egg, and Pup [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 20:07:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20102887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerserveranceNotLOVE/pseuds/PerserveranceNotLOVE
Summary: Soufei knows.Soufei loves.Soufei helps.(Aka, the one shot that I wrote while sad)





	Knowledge

Soufei is a smart girl. She knows the best shortcuts, and the favorite foods of all of her mamae's precious people. She knows how to cook and clean, just like a big girl!

Soufei also knows secrets.

Soufei knows how every so often, Uncle Bull has to avoid sleep and seek out his Chargers under the guise of late night endurance or stealth training. She knows this has something to do with the way he will jolt awake, staring wide eyed into the darkness. She knows her Uncle is not okay, though he is very good at pretending.

Soufei knows how bad Uncle Dorian's alcohol problem can really get. How occasionally he'll fall into a drunken sleep atop a precarious ledge. She has helped him to bed more than once. Every time, tears will fall from his eyes, tears that she knows he'd never shed in front of anyone. She knows that she has Dorian's babae to blame for this.

Soufei knows that Auntie Cass doesn't like the color red. Red like lyrium and the blood of Seekers. Soufei knows all about this one, because she heard her mamae talking to Auntie Cass about it. Soufei doesn't like those "Promisers" or "Lucius". They sound mean.

Soufei knows that Uncle Blackwall regrets. She's climbed on his lap more than once and begged for a story just to watch the deep rooted sadness in his eyes and lining is face be chased away, however temporarily, by a light hearted humor and happiness. She treasures the little gifts he carves for her, knowing that he put his heart into each one.

Soufei knows that Aunt Vivi cares. More than anyone will know. She's heard people like Sissy Sera call Aunt Vivi mean names like the b word that mamae says not to use. But no uncaring, unfeeling b word would swing Soufei onto the chaise with a smile dancing on her lips and a fond twinkle in her eyes. And Aunt Vivi makes the best tasting medicines in the world when Soufei gets sick!

Soufei knows that Sissy is afraid. Afraid of a lot of things, actually, but Sissy acts brave and sometimes overshoots and ends up acting mean instead. Sissy once accidentally spent ten minutes ranting about how dumb and "prickish" elves can be to Soufei, before remembering that Soufei is an elf. Sissy didn't apologize, but she did spend a little more time helping Soufei learn to use the bow, and she may have denied it but Soufei knows that Sissy was the one that left the basket of sweets in front of Soufei's door.

Soufei knows that Uncle Varric is a very kind man, that when no one is looking, the shrewd and cunning swarm will flip a silver or two to the little elven children and servants that pass by. And Soufei has seen him spend almost two hours calming down and just talking with a dwarf who was still very new to the surface, and still very frightened.

Soufei knows that Isa'ma'lin is troubled. He feels pulled between two worlds and the two often pass time in the garden, plucking the flowering weeds and making crowns from little pieces of beauty that exist and persevere despite being labelled and unwanted. Isa'ma'lin wants to be human, wants to be able to feel like a human, to love like a human, but he doesn't know if he's willing to give up being a spirit just yet. But Soufei knows already that he's made his choice, he's just too scared to see it.

Soufei knows that Auntie Leli has many secrets, most of which not even Soufei knows, or wants to know. But she does know that Auntie Leli reminisces and remember. Soufei knows that mamae reminds her of the Hero, and every now and again sadness and grief will cloud Auntie's eyes for a few brief seconds as she looks to the woman who holds the fate of the world in her palm.

Soufei knows that Cullen hurts, that the lyrium Calls in a way that Soufei will never truly understand. She also knows that way he nearly broke his hand punching the stone wall when he was frustrated and despaing over the deaths of good men and women. Soufei plays chess with him and listens to him talk about his siblings, and she finds that his burden seems just a little lighter when he talks about those that he loves.

Soufei knows that Aunt Josephine cares for her family, and works her hardest to give them all the best. Soufei knows that despite seeming like a never ending well of energy, optimism, and diplomacy, Aunt Josephine sometimes reaches a limit. Those are the moment when Isa'ma'lin shows up to help Soufei boil the tea and add just a teeny bit of milk and honey, with some little Orlesian sugar wafers on the side. Soufei loves seeing the weary but genuine smile Aunt Josie gives when she sees Soufei bringing in the snack.

Soufei knows that babae would never hurt mamae, though he seems to think he will. At night when the two search the fade, Soufei will sometimes catch him eyeing her with an oddly grief stricken expression, the same one that flashes across his features when she calls him babae aloud. He sometimes talks to his spirit friends and she manages to eavesdrop when he thinks she won't be able to listen, and she doesn't think she likes these "Evanuris", or this "veil". Still, Soufei doesn't understand. How does babae love mamae so much and still be scared? That's silly! They will always have each other and Soufei, so what's there to be scared of?

Soufei knows that mamae is stressed, that sometimes she cries herself to sleep. She knows that mamae barely takes care of herself without babae there to gently remind her that 'no, vhenan, an apple does not count as lunch, you must eat' or Aunt Josie to calmly inform her that 'yes, I am quite sure that Madame Delericey can most certainly wait, you have the better station and she will understand that you must take care of your own needs'. She knows that mamae sees all of her 'Inner Circle' and advisors as a family, that mamae takes it upon herself to ensure that they all if not get along then play nice and are happy. She know that mamae feels guilty over every life lost for the Inquisition, that every sacrifice made is an unnecessary one in her eyes, that she would love nothing more than to fix everyone's problems. But she can't, even Soufei knows this, so at night Soufei curls up close and clings to her and hopes she'll keep mamae's nightmares away.

Soufei is a very smart girl. She knows secrets. And she'll continue to collect secrets like shiny new silvers while helping the people who, unwittingly or otherwise, entrust her with them.


End file.
